After making her name with stark folk and rock albums, Melbourne’s Laura Jean Englert made a sharp left turn into airy synth-pop on Devotion. It proved to be a natural fit, especially on the breakout single “Girls on the TV,” which sets a poignant story of childhood talent and kinship to homespun disco and R&B flourishes. Accompanied by Augie March drummer Dave Williams and producer/multi-instrumentalist John Lee, here Englert makes the most accessible music of her career without sacrificing her signature lyrical acuity. The album drew inspiration from Englert’s self-described “lonely coastal childhood” and family life, while she narrates the album as an adult looking back on her own beachy upbringing. But you don’t need to pore over every lyric to enjoy this evocative foray into the past: “Touchstone” parlays a taut bass into a delightfully floaty chorus, while “Lick Your Heart” starts with an extended percussive flourish before Englert sings in a tightly rhythmic flow that’s miles away from her slow, considered delivery on previous records. “You Make Me Feel” dials up the 1980s synth vibe; a savvy method of heightening Englert’s emotional remembrances. The songwriter’s 2022 follow-up Amateurs successfully blended her varied musical touchstones while adding dramatic string arrangements for yet another level of uplift.